Biographies: Camanche, Clinton County, Iowa
Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Annette Lucas
ClintonRoots@aol.com
************************************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in
any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or
persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material,
must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal
representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb
archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission
to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.
http://www.usgwarchives.net
***********************************************************************
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF CAMANCHE TWP.
From the 1879 History of Clinton County, Iowa by L. P. Allen
HORACE ANTHONY; P. O. Camanche; was born in Livingston Co., N. Y., in 1816;
there he
received his early education and resided till 1834, when he removed to New Haven,
Conn.; in
1838, he came to Quincy, Ill.; remained one year; he then removed to Rock Island, Ill.,
where he
was engaged as clerk in various businesses. Married, in 1840, at Davenport, Iowa, Miss
Elizabeth McCloskey, a native of Pennsylvania; she came West in the early part of that
year; they
formed an acquaintance on board a steamer, while coming up the Mississippi River,
and in the
fall of that year married; they have had nine children, eight still living-Mary C. (now
Mrs. Toy),
Martha O. (now Mrs. Cady), both made widows by the late war; John J., Napoleon B.,
Lucy J.
(now Mrs. Tong), William H.. Edward F. and Frederick H. In 1850, Mr. A. came to Iowa,
locating
at Camanche, where he has since resided and been engaged in business; the same
year he
purchased and improved a tract of land, consisting of 320 acres, and, in 1855, engaged
in the
saw-mill and lumber business, in which he is still engaged quite extensively. Mr. A. is
one of
Camanche's most enterprising and public-spirited citizens, ever lending a helping hand
to every
commendable enterprise; he has held several offices of trust and responsibility since he
located
in the county; in 1859 and 1860, he represented the county in the Legislature, being
elected on
the Republican ticket; he also held the office of Treasurer of the county for four years;
himself and
wife are members of the Baptist Church, he being one of the leading members in that
Church,
having assisted and used his influence in its organization in 1851. Mr. A. is a stanch
Republican.
OSCAR ANTHONY, insurance agency; P. O. Camanche; was born in Livingston Co., N.
Y.,
April 15, 1833; in 1850, he removed to New Haven, Conn., the birthplace of his parents,
and the
home of his ancestors for several generations previous; there, in November, 1853, he
married
Miss Hannah M. Rood, a native of that city; they have had three children, two still
living-Will O.
and Merrill P. Mrs. A. is a daughter of John and Hannah (Baldwin) Rood, natives of New
Haven.
The Baldwins emigrated from England in the early part of the seventeenth century,
settling near
New Haven, Conn., where the original homesteads are still occupied by their
descendants. Both
of her grandfathers were soldiers in the War for Independence; her father and one of
her
grandfathers were also in the year of 1812. In 1855, Mr. Anthony emigrated to Iowa,
settling in
Camanche, where he has since resided; was first engaged in the grocery business for
fourteen
years; then in the dry goods trade four years; he has served as Supervisor for years;
held the
office of Postmaster at Camanche a number of years; in 1866, he was appointed
Assistant United
States Assessor of Distilleries at Camanche, and, in 1870, to the office of Assistant
United States
Marshal, taking the census of a part of Clinton Co. Mr. A. and wife are members of the
Presbyterian Church; he is also a member of A., F. & A. M. and A. O. U. W.; held office
of Master
in both of them; is a stanch Republican; he has ever been a strong advocate of
temperance and
a foe to human bondage; his ancestors have been noted for longevity, his father
attaining his
99th year, and his mother is still living at the advanced age of 89 years.
EDWARD G. BUTCHER, breeder of thoroughbred horses; P. O. Camanche; was born
in Beverly,
Randolph Co., Va., Sept. 1, 1823; son of Eli and Elizabeth (Hart) Butcher, both natives
of Virginia;
he is also a lineal descendant of John Hart, one of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence, his mother being the daughter of Edward, who was a son of John Hart;
the
paternal grandmother of Mr. Butcher was a Drake, related to Sir Francis Drake, of
England; in
1837, when 14 years of age, Mr. Butcher came West with Mr. Stalnaker, settling near
what is now
Cordova, Rock Island Co., Ill.; there was but one house and family there at that time,
and his
only playmates that winter were Indian boys. He says they could excel him in shooting
with bow
and arrows, but when it came to a foot race, he could distance them. They laid claim to
a tract of
land and began improving it; in 1839, sold that and removed to Whiteside Co., where
they made
a large claim near what was then known as North Grove; that season they broke 100
acres; a
little over a year after, they sold it; in the fall of 1840, Mr. Butcher was started out to look
for
another location; crossing the Mississippi at Camanche, he traversed Iowa to the
Walnut Forks of
the Wapsipinicon River before he found suitable land; returning, he found that Mr.
Stalnaker had
partially purchased a large tract of land three miles back of Albany, Ill.; they concluded
the
purchase, improved and resided on it until the death of Mr. S., when the entire property
was left to
Mr. Butcher; in 1851, Mr. Butcher sold the farm, consisting of 1,000 acres, 500 under
cultivation;
the farm is still known as the Butcher farm; the same year, he came to Camanche and
associated
with the firm of McIlvaine & Co., in the general merchandise and grain business, then
the largest
firm in Clinton Co.; four years after, the firm was changed to Butcher & Dailey, and for
years did
the largest grain business in the county. Mr. B. built the first steam saw-mill in the
county, a
Camanche; it was burned, and the old brick stack is still standing and in use by W. R.
Anthony &
Co.; the engine of that mill was the first steam engine brought into the county; he was
also
interested in the first steam flouring-mill, known as the Lettig mill, afterward converted
into a
distillery. Mr. B. is one of Clinton Co's most enterprising citizens; has done more for its
improvement than any other man in it; he has, for a number of years, been engaged in
raising
and breeding thoroughbred horses, and has been the owner of several quite noted
ones, among
them Alice Ward, now the property of P. Lorillard; while she was the property of Mr. B.,
he ran her
in 113 races, winning ninety-three of them. Mr. B. married, July 8, 1845, in Whiteside
Co., Ill.,
Miss Sarah Ann Willson, a native of Virginia; they had nine children, four are living-
Laura L.
(now Mrs. Samuel C. Williams), Elvira V. (now Mrs. T. B. Hatcher), Anna (now Mrs. R.
L. Chalk,
of Belton, Tex.), and Grace G. (now Mrs. Joseph Aulhon). Mrs. B. died in 1878, leaving
a
husband and four daughters to mourn their loss. Mr. B. has held the office of Mayor of
the city of
Camanche for a number of years; he is a strong Democrat.
ADDISON BARKER, farmer, Sec. 24; P. O. Camanche; was born in Greene Co., N. Y.,
in
1825; came to Iowa in 1851, laid claim to 160 acres of the Iowa school land, and when it
came
into market purchased and improved it; he is a broom-maker, which business he
followed for ten
years after he came to the State, in connection with his family. He married, in the fall of
1850,
Miss Christiana Kilmer, a native of New York; they had five children, four still living-
Edith,
Kilmer, Florence and Windle A. Mr. B. has held the office of Justice of the Peace for
some years,
since he has been a citizen of the county. Mr. B. and family are members of the Baptist
Church.
Mr. B. was formerly a Whig, and at the organization of the Republican party joined its
ranks; was
ever an uncompromising foe to human slavery.
WM. CANTY, farmer, Sec. 14; P. O. Low Moor; was born in Lincolnshire England, in
1823;
emigrated to the United States in 1852, settling in Clinton Co., Iowa, where he
purchased and
improved a piece of land containing 160 acres, on which he has since resided. Married,
in 1850,
Miss Sarah Willis, a native of the same shire as himself; they have five daughters and
four sons-
Mary S., Robert, Dinah, William, George, Joseph, Elizabeth, Alice and Sallie. His
parents, William
and Mary (Smith) Canty, were natives of England, and resided there till their deaths. Mr.
C. is a
stanch Republican.
JOHN S. DANNATT, farmer, Sec. 24; P. O. Camanche; was born in Lincolnshire,
England, in
1834; emigrated to the United States in 1851, settling in Clinton Co., Iowa, where he
has since
resided on his fine farm of 560 acres. He married, in 1858, Miss Emily Evison, a native
of the
same part of England as himself; they have nine children-Johanna L., Mary A., William
L., Asa,
Eva, Ida, Elbert J., Nettie and Ernest. They are members of the Baptist Church;
Republican.
CHAS. B. ELCE, farmer, Sec. 36; P. O. Camanche; was born in Clinton Co., Penn., in
1837;
came to Iowa in 1855, where he has since resided; he and his father improved the farm
on which
he resides, consisting of eighty acres. He married, in 1858, Miss Mary F. Pierce; she
was a native
of New Jersey; they have three children-Harry M., Georgiana and Fred B. They are
members of
Methodist Episcopal Church; he is also a member of the Ancient Order of United
Workmen. Mr.
E. enlisted in Co. A, 16th Iowa V. I., and served four years. Mr. E. is a stanch
Republican.
WM. D. FOLLETT, farmer, Sec. 11; P. O. Camanche; was born in Rensselaer Co., N.
Y., in 1811;
removed to Iowa in 1837; he laid claim to a tract of land in the southeast part of Clinton
Co.,
which he improved, and on which he still resides; his present farm consists of 400
acres, and is
valued at about $65 per acre. He married, in 1830, Miss Maria Ketchem, a native of
New York;
they had five children, four still living-Kate (now Mrs. Millar), William E., Mahala and
Helen. Mrs.
F. died in 1856, leaving a husband and four children. Mr. F. again married, in 1862,
Miss
Davidson, and has two children-Charles and Genevieve; his son, William E., was the
first male
child born in Clinton Co.; his oldest son, Zander, died at Little Rock, Ark., while in the
army. Mr. F.
was formerly a Democrat; acts with the Greenback party.
JACOB GROHE, Sec. 30; P. O. Camanche; was born in Strasbourg, France, in 1814;
came
to the United States when he was 4 years old, locating in Jefferson Co., N. Y., where he
married,
in 1855, Miss Sarah A. Bence, a native of that State; they had eleven children, nine now
living-
Clemence (now Mrs. Charles), Lavina, William C., Catharine (now Mrs. Charles
Thomas), Susan
(now Mrs. E. D. Selby), Sarah A., (now Mrs. L. Van Eps), Mila M., Jacob N. and
Florence. His
wife died in 1870. Mr. G. and family are members of the Baptist Church; he has been a
member
of that church for over twenty-seven years; is a stanch Republican.
HIRAM A. HART, Sec. 20; P. O. Camanche; was born in Butler Co., Ohio, in 1808;
came to Iowa
in 1849 and entered a tract of land; returned to Indiana, where his family was residing.
He
married, in Indiana, in 1848, Miss Mary J. McGuire; they have four sons and four
daughters
living-Abraham P., Flora B. (now Mrs. Ciswell), James W. M., Clotie (now Mrs. Smith),
Charles
R., Francis M., John S and Mary Jane; the parents of Mrs. H., James and Susan (Fleck)
McGuire,
were natives of Ireland and Indiana; her father entered a very extensive tract of land in
1849,
lying between Camanche and Low Moor. In 1850, Mr. Hart removed to Iowa with his
family, and
improved his land, a part of which he now resides upon; his home farm consists of 800
acres.
The parents of Mr. Hart, William and Annabelle (Piatt) Hart, were natives of Ohio, where
they
resided till their deaths. Mr. Hart was elected to the office of Representative of Dearborn
Co., Ind.,
and served one term prior to coming to Iowa. He is a member of A., F. & A. M., in the
higher
degrees of that Order. He is a Democrat.
GEO. F. HOWSON, farmer, Sec. 35; P. O. Camanche; was born in Lincolnshire,
England, in
1846; in 1856, he, with his parents, Richard and Jemima Howson, emigrated to the
United States,
settling in Clinton Co., where they have since resided. Mr. H. improved the farm on
which he
resides, consisting of 160 acres. He married, in Clinton Co., Miss Anna Tongue, in
1871; they
have three children-Grace I., Nora A. and Ira F. Mr. H. and wife are members of the
Methodist
Episcopal Church; he is a stanch Republican.
CAPT. WM. H. HOYT, P. O. Camanche; was born in the city of New York in 1826; he,
with his
parents, removed to Ohio in 1836, settling in Marietta; he there learned his trade of
millwright; he
came to Iowa in 1853, settling at Camanche, where he has resided since; he built the
first
flouring-mill erected in Camanche, in 1860; it was destroyed by fire in 1871; in 1872, he
rebuilt
on the site of the former mill, which he operated for a short time and sold, removing
thence to
Fulton, Ill., and built another, which he operated a short time, removing again to
Camanche; in
1861, he enlisted in the 16th I. V. I., Co. A; was elected Captain of the company, and
served
through the war; the last eight months was in the rebel prisons at Charleston, S. C.; he,
with the
other prisoners, was placed under the fire of the Union batteries, to protect the city; he
was
removed thence to Columbia, S. C., and thence to Raleigh, from which prison he was
paroled on
the 2d day of March, 1865, and received his discharge some time after. He married, at
Marietta,
Ohio, Miss Adaline Vaughan, a native of that State; they have three children-Nora
(now Mrs.
Carter), Andras W. and Freeman V. Mr. H. is a member of the A., F. & A. M., and was
for
fourteen years the Master of Camanche Lodge, No. 60; is a stanch Republican.
S. HYMAN, grain-dealer, Camanche; was born in Lycoming Co., Penn., in 1828; came
to Iowa in
1851, where he has since resided; he is a carpenter by trade, which he followed prior to,
and
some time after, he came to the State; in 1858, engaged in the hardware business;
continued
until the tornado of June 3, 1860, when his store house was demolished with its
contents; he
afterward engaged in the grocery and hardware business, which he carried on for
several years,
then engaged in the grain, flour and seed business, which is still occupying his
attention. In 1853,
he visited Pennsylvania, the home of his boyhood, and there married Miss Mary E. Elce,
a native
of Lycoming Co.; the following spring, returned to Iowa with his wife; they have two
children-
Thomas J. and William D.; members of the Methodist Episcopal Church; Mr. H. has
taken an
active part in the church affairs for many years; he is also member of I. O. O. F. and the
Encampment, also of the A. O. U. W.; he held the office of Mayor of the city of
Camanche, and
has been identified with its various offices since the town was first organized. Mr. H.
was a Whig,
now a Republican; his parents were natives of Pennsylvania, and his mother still
resides in that
State.
SIMPSON JAMES, farmer, Sec. 19; P. O. Camanche; was born in Essex Co., N. Y.,
1824;
came to Iowa in 1851; he made the principal improvements on the farm on which he
resides,
consisting of eighty acres; he first settled in Scott Co., of this State, remaining till 1855.
He
married, in 1849, Miss Louisa Nichols, daughter of Jonathan and Dexalana (Wallace)
Nichols
they are members of the Baptist Church; Mr. J. is a stanch Republican.
JOHN McCLOSKEY, P. O. Camanche; was born in Allegheny Co., Penn., in 1823;
emigrated
West in 1836, locating in St. Louis till 1840, when he went to Davenport, Iowa; in the fall
of 1854,
he removed to Camanche, where he engaged in the saw-mill and lumber business, and
where he
has since resided; from 1845 to 1854, he was most of the time on the Pacific coast, in
Oregon,
and, while in that State, He met and married, in 1854, Miss Sarah E. Oxner, a native of
Kentucky;
Mrs. McCloskey died in 1860. Mr. McCloskey again married, in 1861, Miss R. A.
Lawton, of
Clinton Co., a native of Illinois; they have two children-Lottie and Horace. Mr. and
Mrs. McC.
are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church; he is also a member of A., F. & A. M.;
he was
in the Indian war in Oregon, in 1848; he Was a Democrat before the war, but since that
time has
acted with the Republican party.
DANIEL NICHOLS, farmer, Sec. 30; P. O. Camanche; was born in Essex Co., N. Y.. in
1816;
emigrated to Iowa in 1853, locating in Clinton Co., where he has since resided; he
made the
principal improvements on the farm on which he now resides, consisting of 224 acres.
He
married, in 1838, Miss Emily Stone, a native, of New York; they had three children, two
of whom
are living-Dexalana (now Mrs. Fenn) and Nettie B. Mrs. N. died in the spring of 1875.
The
parents of our subject, Jonathan and Dexalana (Wallace) Nichols, were natives of New
York; the
mother died in New York, in 1844; she was born in 1795; the father was born in 1793,
and
served through the war of 1812; he came to this State, and died in 1875, at the age of
82 years.
Mr. N. again married, in 1875. Miss Josephine Weldrof; is a stanch Republican.
J. NICHOLS, Jr., farmer, Sec. 18; P. O. Camanche; was born in Essex Co., N. Y., in
1818;
came to Iowa in 1853, locating in Clinton Co., upon the farm on which he now resides,
consisting
of eighty acres, He married, in 1849, Miss Anna Finney, a native of New York; they had
four
children-Chestina (now Mrs. George Walls), Elbert W., Adna J., Lelia L. (now Mrs.
William
Draper). Mrs. N. departed this life in October, 1850. Mr. N. again married, in 1851, Miss
Orrila A.
Angier, a native of New York; they have one child-Luella; they are members of the
Baptist
Church; Republican.
DANIEL PATE, farmer, Sec. 13; P. O. Camanche; son if David and Billzorah (Peas)
Pate;
was born in Dearborn Co., Ind., in 1836; came to Iowa in 1856, locating in Clinton Co;
he and
his brother, James R., improved the farm on which, he now resides, consisting of 160
acres; Mr.
P's occupation is that of farmer and stock-raiser; he is a member of the I. O. O. F.; is a
Democrat.
JAMES H. PATE, farmer, Sec. 13; P. O. Camanche; was born in Dearborn Co., Ind., in
1840; in
1856, he removed to Iowa, locating in Clinton Co., where he and a brother improved a
farm of
160 acres, which they still own. In 1870, he married, at Camanche, Miss Alpha Millard,
a native of
Jackson Co., Iowa, and daughter of David and Emarette (Jinkins) Millard; her father was
killed in
the tornado of June 3, 1860, at Brophy Creek, of this county; her mother is still living in
Adams
Co. of this State. They have two children-Charles P. and Myrtie E.; members of the
Baptist
Church; he is also a member of I. O. O. F. His parents were David and Billzorah (Peas)
Pate;
they were natives of Virginia and New York, both now deceased; the father died in
1853, the
mother in 1864; Mr. P. is a Democrat.
CHAS. N. PIERCE, carpenter and joiner; P. O. Camanche; was born in Monmouth Co.,
N.
J., in 1835; came to Iowa in 1848, locating at Camanche, where he has since resided.
He
married, in 1859, in Camanche, Miss Ellen Lee, a native of Ohio; they have one child-
Charles A.
Mr. P. enlisted in the 16th I. V. I., Co. A, and served through the war; he was promoted
to
Sergeant, First Lieutenant, and then to Captain of the company; he was wounded at the
battle of
Atlanta, Ga., from which will always suffer; he is a member of A. O. U. W.; he is a
stanch
Republican.
CHAS. SEWARD, blacksmith; P. O. Camanche; was born in Delaware Co., N. Y., in
1842;
removed, with his parents, to Ohio, while very young, settling in Ashtabula Co., where
he
remained some years, attending school; there learned the blacksmith trade, but before
he had
finished his apprenticeship, he removed to Erie Co., Penn., where he finished his trade,
and
again attended school for some time; he enlisted in the 2d Independent Battery of
Pennsylvania,
known as Mehuler's Battery, or the Flying Dutchmen, and served through the war; he
returned to
Erie Co., Penn., after being discharged, and in 1866 came to Iowa, locating in
Camanche, where
has been engaged in blacksmithing most of the time. He married, in 1869, Miss Annis
Bigelow, of
Camanche, daughter of Timothy Bigelow; they have two children-Eugene and Alice.
Mr. S.
resided at Low Moor, of this county, for some years, and while there was appointed
Postmaster,
which office he held for eight years; Mr. S. is a stanch Republican; he fought through
the war and
received four wounds.
MERITT H. SPOONER, agent C & N. W. R. R.; P. O. Camanche; son of Elijah and Lois
Spooner, who were natives of Connecticut and New York; were married in the latter
State, where
they resided till the death of Mrs. S., in 1827, when Mr. S. removed to Ohio, where he
died in
1837. Their son was born at Cooperstown, Otsego Co., N. Y., March 16, 1818. where
he received
a good common-school education; in 1856, removed to Iowa, residing at Lyons three
years, then
removed to Camanche, where he has since resided; while quite young, he was
apprenticed to
learn the shoemaker trade; serving out his time, he commenced for himself, carrying on
that
branch of business for some years after he settled in Iowa; he has for several years
been in the
employ of the C. & N. W. R. R., as state agent at Camanche. He married, in 1844, Miss
Delia B.
Ripley, a native of Watertown, Jefferson Co., N. Y.; daughter of Noah W. and Eliza
(Bowen)
Ripley; she was born Sept. 10, 1828, and when 10 years old, removed, with her father,
to Otsego
Co., N. Y., where she was married; they have had four children, three are living-
Emma (now
the wife of H. T. Matthews), Willard E. and Mary; Mrs. S. is a consistent member of the
Methodist
Church; Mr. S. is a member of A., F. & A. M., also of the I. O. O. F.; is a stanch
Republican.
ANDREW J. SMALL, farmer Sec. 19; P. O. Camanche; was born in Highland Co., Ohio,
in
1822. He came to Illinois in 1837, locating in Knox and Fulton Cos., where he remained
till 1839,
when he again returned to Ohio, remaining there till 1844; removing thence to Aurora,
Ind., where
he married Miss Susan McGuire, a native of Dearborn Co., that State; they were
married in
1850. In the same year, he came to Iowa and entered a half-section of land in Section
18;
returning to Indiana, he remained till 1861; he then moved his family to Iowa, bought
some more
land, and improved what he had entered. He is now the owner of a fine farm of 400
acres. He is a
carpenter and joiner by trade, which he followed for seventeen years in his younger
years. They
have two children-George H. and Charles McG. Mr. S. is a member of the A., F. & A.
M., he has
also taken the Chapter degrees. Mr. S. is a Democrat.
BENJAMIN TOLLMAN, farmer, Sec. 20; P. O. Camanche; was born near New Holland,
Pickaway
Co., Ohio, in 1832. Came to Iowa in 1854, where he has since resided. He improved the
farm on
which he resides, consisting of 270 acres. He married at Camanche, in 1857, Miss
Sarah Lyman;
she was a native of New York; they have eight children, three sons and five daughters.
Mr. T. is
one of Clinton Co.'s
enterprising farmers, having one of the finest improved farms in the section of country
where he
lives. Is a stanch Republican.
J. H. TONG, farmer, Sec. 25; P. O. Low Moor; was born in Fairfield Co., Ohio, in 1820.
Came
to Iowa in 1853, settling on the farm on which he now resides and improved, consisting
of 160
acres. Married, in Lancaster, Ohio, in 1843, Miss Rebecca Poorman, a native of that
place; they
have seven children-Mary C. (now Mrs. Crawshaw), Ann (now Mrs. Howson), William
M., Flora
(now Mrs. Bittinger), Ada (now Mrs. Risley), John and Rebecca. Members of the M. E.
Church.
Mr. T. was a Whig; at the organization of the Republican Party, joined its ranks.
W. A. TYLER, farmer, Sec. 31; P. O. Camanche; was born in Clinton Co., Iowa, in 1848,
and
has always lived on the farm which was his birthplace. His parents, John A. and Phebe
J.
(Pearsal) Tyler, were natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania; came to Iowa in 1837, and
were married
in this county in 1845, and resided here until their deaths. W A. married on Sept. 14,
1869, Miss
Hulda M. Stafford, a native of Ohio, who came to Iowa in 1863; they have three
children-Kittie
M., Clara Eva and Fannie. Mr. T. has a farm of 270 acres, which his father located and
improved.
He is a Democrat.
JOHN V. VAN EPPS, farmer, Sec. 1; P. O. Camanche; was born in Montgomery Co., N.
Y.,
in 1813. Came to Iowa in 1855, and has accumulated a competence for his declining
years. The
farm on which he has resided since he came to Iowa consists of 470 acres; he is
probably the
largest land owner in the county, owning over 1,450 acres. He married in Montgomery
Co., N. Y.,
in April, 1834, Miss Catherine Smith, a native of that State; they have six children-
Charles H.,
Margaret, John E., Lewis, Alden and Clarence. His son Charles served through the war.
He is a
Democrat. His parents, John and Elizabeth (Veder) Van Epps, were natives of New
York.
Paternal great-great-grand parents came to America from Holland at an early day,
settling in New
York State, near what is now the village of Fultonville, which occupies a part of the tract
of land
that they first located upon, consisting of 1,800 acres, for which they received a patent
from the
English Government, and which has never gone out of the hands of the Van Eppses, as
three of
the fifth generation now own and occupy the greater part of it.
A. A. WAGNER, County Auditor, Camanche; is a native of Allentown, Lehigh Co.,
Penn.;
was brought up there. He came to Illinois in 1862, to Iowa in 1864; located at
Camanche, and
engaged in the distilling business. He was elected County Auditor in the fall of 1875; re-
elected in
1877. He married Ann B. Mertz, from Allentown, Lehigh Co., Penn.; they have one
son-Frank M.
J. C. WILKES, grocer, Camanche; was born in Watertown, Jefferson Co., N. Y., in
1824;
emigrated into Illinois in 1840, and, in 1847, came to Iowa, locating in the south part of
Clinton
Co., where he bought and improved a farm, and was for some years engaged in
farming. In 1854,
he moved into the town of Camanche, where he has been engaged in various kinds of
business;
has for several years been engaged in the grocery business. He married, in 1858, Miss
Jane
Vincent, of Lyons, Iowa; she is a native of England, and came to this country while very
young.
Mr. W. is a stanch Republican.
SHELDON WOOD, farmer, Sec. 11; P.O. Camanche; was born in Addison Co., Vt., in
1814. In
1834, he removed to New York, where, in 1834, He married Miss Sibot S. Ketcham, a
native of
that State. Came to Iowa in 1842, where he has since resided. He located and entered
land when
he first settled, and the farm on which he now resides, consisting of 275 acres, is a part
of the
same tract. He enlisted in the 37th Iowa (known as Col. Kincaids Gray Beards), and
served
through the war. He is a stanch Republican. His paternal grandfather was a native of
England,
and came to this country some time in the eighteenth century; his parents, Lemuel and
Hannah
(Ives) Wood, were natives of Vermont, and died while he was quite young.